Animal health

By Dr. Peter Strassburg, Lodi Veterinary Clinic
Calf diarrhea is a common and very frustrating problem when raising calves.  Identifying scours early can help you decide on a treatment plan and increase your odds of treatment success.

By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman
A healthy gut in baby calves is important to give them the best start to life possible.  Rowntree explained why a healthy gut is important and shared what you can do to help develop it.

Calves don't become productive members of the milking herd overnight.  They need to be "grown from the inside out" with proper nutrition to develop their GI tract and digestive processes to ensure efficient growth.

By Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman
When it comes to hoof health, most problems have started long before the animals enter the milking herd.  In Busman's experience, he sees many problems stem from sand-bedded heifer facilities. 

By Brittany Olson, contributing writer
Going from life as a monogastric animal to a ruminating animal is one of the most significant changes in a calf's life.  How she transitions sets the stage for her future growth and development.

By Brittany Olson, contributing writer
With many dairies feeling the effects of Salmonella and pressure from consumers to reduce antibiotic use, biosecurity is currently a hot topic in animal agriculture.  Rowntree explained what you can do to ensure the safety of your production.

When we think about animal welfare, we try to understand what that means from a species-specific biological perspective.  Van Os spoke about what animal welfare means and discussed new animal welfare research and how you could apply that information to practices on your operation.

With Sara Schilling, Schilling Farms LLC
Sara Schilling of Schilling Farms LLC walks us through her calving pen and the stringent calving procedures her team follows to give each calf the best start to life.

By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Vita Plus calf and heifer specialist
Small and undergrown heifers with loose stool and a rough, dry hair coat are clinical signs of coccidiosis.  Left untreated, this parasitic infection can limit your future herd's potential.

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Many calves show signs of sickness before it becomes clinical.  Here are 7 signs to look for when evaluating calf health.

By Dr. Rob Farruggio, Jefferson Veterinary Clinic, S.C.
Respiratory disease in calves is a common issue dairy farms encounter.  The key is to identify respiratory challenges quickly and address the areas needing improvement.

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock specialist
By understanding a calf's plumbing, specifically the abomasum, we can design feeding and management programs that fit the calf's abilities to digest milk, grow, and decrease opportunities for pathogens. 

By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Vita Plus dairy calf and heifer specialist
Setting goals in specific areas for your farm's calf and heifer health, and regularly comparing health events to those goals, can help determine if they are being met.

With Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Cold temperatures are especially tough on newborn calves. In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator, provides seven tips to give newborn calves the best start possible.

With Jonathon Hallock, MarBec Dairy
Jonathon Hallock, MarBec Dairy, shares some of the features of his recently completed calf barn addition as well as some of the challenges he encountered through the process.  Thank you to Jonathon for sharing his farm and calf raising strategies with us throughout 2017. 

By Dr. Jeremy Schefers, University of Minnesota, and Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
Quality and hygiene are important considerations when feeding waste milk to nursery calves.  Benefits of on-farm pasteurization include reduced diarrhea and respiratory disease.  Proper pasteurization also kills Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (responsible for Johne’s disease), Salmonella and Mycoplasma, if present in milk.